Gripping tool



July 23, 1940. M, WQLF I 2,208,714

GRIPPING TOOL Filed Aug. 4, `1957 Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES.

RATENT; oFFlCE 2,208,714 y GRIPPINefzroon.r f

Myer Woll', Brownstown, Pa.

Application August 4, 1937, Serial No. 157,411

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-3.1)

The invention relates to tools, particularly of the wrench type, adaptedto engage a work element with a clamping pressure which is proportionalto the applied pressure necessary to oper- 5 ate the tool.

An object of the invention is to provide a gripping tool capable ofself-clamping operative engagement with a substantially circular workelement.

Another object is to provide a self-clamping gripping tool provided witha handle serving as a force applying lever to increase the clampingaction as the tool is manipulated. f

A further object is to provide a gripping tool having an operatinghandle pivoted to be moved in opposite directions to engage or disengagethe tool from a work element.

The present disclosure constitutes a practical embodiment of structureby which the invention is reduced to practice, and it is to beunderstood that the details as shown and described shall not constitutelimitations inconsistent with the scope of the invention as claimed.

At the present time the tool nds perhaps its greatest utility inapplying and removing, particularly removing, rotatable closure caps forfruit jars and the like. Accordingly, the invention is illustratedspecifically as a jar cap removing tool.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a top plan View of a container having a cap to which thetool is applied, and illustrating the initial engagement of the tool.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section.

Figure 3 is a plan view similar to Figure 1, and

illustrating the tool in clamped position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view ofV the tool.

In detail, the tool comprises a pair of substantially arcuate jaws 5 and6 having each a serrated work gripping inner face curved through an arcof more than ninety degrees. The jaws are pivotally connected bysuitable means 1, here shown as a pintle rivet permanently connecting anofiset end 8 of the jaw 6 to the adjacent end portion of the jaw 5 at apoint somewhat inwardly of its extremity. The adjacent end portion ofthe jaw 5 between the pintle 'I and its terminus is reversely curvedwith respect to the remainder of the jaw, providing a lateral terminalportion 9.

'I'he jaw 6 is also provided with an integral lateral extensioncomprising an arm I0 forked from the body of the jaw and diverginglaterally 55 outward therefrom; the length of the arm I0 beingsubstantially one half the distance between the point at which the armdiverges from the body of the jaw and its odset end 8.

The outer end of the arm IIJ provides a fulcrum point for a lever IIhaving a pivotal connection 5 l2 tothe end of the arm. This lever IIprovides the operating handle for the tool and is shaped accordingly.Beyond its pivot fulcrum I2 the inner end of the handle lever is curvedlaterally inwardly of the tool and is connected to the end 10 portion 9of the jaw 5 by means of an offset link I3 pivoted at one end, as at I4,to the jaw end 9 and at its other end, as at I5, to the inner end of thehandle lever.

In service when the tool is applied to work elel5 ment, here shown astheconventional screw cap I6 of a fruit jar Il, the movable jaws 5 and 6are distended to lie loosely around aperipheral portion of the cap asshown in Figure l, and as the total extent of the curved gripping facesof the 20 two jaws is more than 180 the jaws will extend more than halfway around the periphery of the cap.

In the position shown in Figure 1 the tool is to be used for unscrewingthe cap. When the 25 handle lever II is moved in the direction ofthearrow it pivots on its fulcrum I2 and exerts on the end portion 9 of thejaw 5- a leverage, compounded through the link I3, which rocks the jaw 5as a lever pivoting on the fulcrum l. Thus,l 30 the two jaws will bemoved toward each other contracting into a firm clamping engagement withthe cap, the clamping pressure increasing with increased application offorce in moving the handle to unscrew the cap, the engaged position 35of the parts being as shown in Figure 3.

'A reverse movement of the handleimmediately disengages the jaws, theleverage acting to separate them. In the releasing operation the pintle1 is restrained by the cap body against movement radially inward of thecap, so that the fulcrum point of the jaw is fixed.

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the twojaws `extend more than 45 half way around the periphery of the jar cap.y Thus, as the jaws engage, any movement of the pintle 1 radiallyoutward of the cap is prevented and the fulcrum point remains xed. Theaction of the handle lever through the link I3 tends to draw the pintle'I radially outwardly of the cap and if it were no-t for the fact thatthe jaws extend more than half way around. the cap there might occur aslippage which would prevent effective manipulation of the tool.

outer face of said rst jaw in the direction of the4 other andtern-{iinating short of that end of said first jaw to vLhich said secondjaw is fulcrumed,

the adjacent end portion of said second jaw being reversely curvedlaterally outwardly towards said arm but terminating short thereof, ahandle lever fulcrumed on the outer end of said arm, the fulcrum pointof said lever being adjacent but not at its inner end and that end beingreversely curved inwardly and back with respect to said arm to overlie aportion of said first jaw when the jaws are work-engaged, and a linkconnecting the inner end of said lever and the end portion of saidsecond jaw, the ends of said link being disposed at opposite sides of astraight line passed 'through the fulcrum points of said lever and

